Buckle



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yPententeld June 2 WM@ Xm/ @Hor/m13 YNITE STATES PATENT EETCE.

CHARLES F. FRANCISCO, OF LAKESIDE, CALIFORNIA.

BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent. No. 561,308, dated J' une2, 1896.

Application filed July 18, 1395. Serial No. 556,306.v (No model.)

To all wiz/0711, t may concern:

Beit known that I, CHARLES F. FRANCISCO, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Lakesidefin the county of San Diego and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Buckles, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, andeffective improvement in buckles, which, while it allows a limited playto the tongue of the buckle or its equivalent in order to engage it withthe free end of the strap, permits of the release of the tongue from thestrap with ease and dispatch; and my invention consists in providing thetongue or its equivalent, which is freely pivoted or hinged on thetongue bar or base of the buckle-frame,with a shoulder adapted to engagewith the keeper, also pivoted or hinged on the tongue-bar of thebuckle-frame in such wise that when the strap is unbuckled the keeper acts as alever to raise the tongue from the frame and facilitates the removal ofthe strap without, however, interfering with the free operation of thetongue in buckling the strap.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure lisa plan view showing my improvement applied to a buckle on a harness orother loop strap. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of Fig. l, showing itsoperation; and Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a buckle with myimprovement attached.

Ais the buckle-frame, of ordinary construction. Its base a is thetongue-bar.

C is the keeper, hinged to the tongue-bar a by means of the two eyes orbearings c c, projecting from its forward bar.

B is the tongue, pivoted or hinged to the tongue-bar c intermediate thetwo keeperbearings c c.

b is the rearwardly-extending shoulder on the base of the tongue, whichbears against the under side c of the forward barof the keeper C whenthe strap has been-buckled and its free end passed under the rear of thekeeper, as shown in Fig. 2.

D is one end of the strap secured in the ordinary way to the buckle, andE is the free end of the strap.

In order to facilitate the operation of the keeper C in raising thetongue, as well as to aiford sufficient space for passing under it thefree end e of the strap E when it is buckled, I bend the keeper-frameupward from the buckle-frame at a point about ive-eighths of an inchfrom its forward part and then horizontally rearward in a planesubstantially parallel to that of the buckle-frame, when, as shown inFig. 2, the ends of the strap have been buckled together, giving itsomewhat the shape of a The operation of my invention is as follows: Theend of the strap having been buckled together and the free end e of thestrap passed under the rear end of the keeper C, the parts of the buckleare in the position shown in Fig. 2, with the shoulder o of the tonguel5 resting against the under side c of the base of the keeper C. Inorder to unfasten the buckle, the free end e of the strap E is withdrawnfrom beneath the keeper, and the rear end of the keeper is depressed, asindicated by the arrow, through the space thus left free until ittouches the strap. The keeper being pivoted or hinged to the tongue-barc at its forward end, acts as a lever to lift the tongue B from thebuckle-frame by means of the pressure of the forward part c against theshoulder Z9 of the tongue, thus rotating the latter on the tongue-bar,whereupon the buckle-frame A is free to be forced down, if required, andthe parts assume the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,permit-ting the strap to be disengaged andv withdrawn with great easeand promptness.

I do not limit myself to the use of my invention with a buckle-ton gue,as it is evident that it can be applied to any description of bucklehaving a device to engage the strap pivoted or hinged to thebuckle-frame where it is desired to lift such device by the lever actionof the keeper, provided always that said pivoted or hinged device have aprojecting shoulder adapted to engage with the keeper, as I havedescribed. limit myself to the particular shape of the keeper, providedithave'sufficient play to actuate the tongue.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a buckle consisting of a buckle-frame, a device to engage thestrap and a keeper Neither do I IOO both pivoted or hinged to saidbuckle-frame, the combination With the strap-engaging device of ashoulder projecting from its base, which engages with the keeper,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In abuckle consisting of a buckle-frame, a tongue and keeper bothpivoted or hinged to the tongue-bar of said frame, the combination Withthe tongue of zt shoulder proj ecting from its buse Which enga-ges withthe keeper, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination in :t buckle of the buckle-frame A hzwin g thetongue-bztr a, the

curved keeper C having the bearings c o by which it is pivoted or hingedto the tonguebar and the tongue B also pivoted or hinged to thetongue-bar intermediate keeper-beurings c and having the shoulderbsubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES F. FRANCISCO.

Vitnesses:

HORACE A. CUTTER, LEWIS R. WORKS.

